Car-fender



(No Mod e1.)

I. J. NERAGHER.

GAR FENDER.

No. 599,470. Patented Feb. 22, 1898.

NITED STATES INOZENS JOSEPH NERAOHER, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

CAR-FENDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 599,470, dated February 22, 1898.

Application filed September 12, 1896. Renewed July 16, 1897. Serial No. 644,848. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, INOZENS JOSEPH NE- RAOHER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Ouyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oar-Fenders, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to improvements in street-car fenders of the type generally called trip and drop-scoop; and the object of the invention is to provide a fender which shall be more simple in its construction, more certain and effective in its action, and more durable in use than those which have heretofore come to my notice.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a car sufficient to illustrate my invention and its application to the car. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a detail view.

In the drawings the wheels of the car are shown at 20 running on the rails 19, while the sills of the car or like portion of the body to which the fender is attached are shown at 21. The scoop, hereinafter to be described, is located in close proximity to the wheels and the tripping or fender frame at the forward extremity of the car, the two being preferably as far apart as convenient and provided with interposed connections whereby the contact of an obstacle with the fenderframe will cause it to swing rearwardly and, through the interposed connections, permit the scoop to drop to pick up any object which may be upon the track.

The fender-frame consists of a light rigid frame composed of vertical side pieces 1, connected by the inclined strips 1 with the horizontal bottom piece 1, the inclined strips being connected to each other where they cross, as shown at 1, whereby a Very light and extremely rigid fender-frame is secured. The side pieces 1 are rigidly supported upon or connected to a rocking shaft 2, journaled in hangers 3, depending from the sills or base of the car. This shaft 2 carries near one side a bracket 5, extending both to the front and rear thereof, the bracket terminating at its forward end in a hook 5 to engage with the front end of a sliding rod 6, which forms the operating connection between the fenderframe and the scoop. This rod is normally drawn forward under spring-tensin by a helical spring 7, having one end connected to a bolt carried by an offset extending laterally from the bracket and its other end connected to a collar 8, adj ustably secured to the rod 6 by a set-screw 9, by means of which the tension on the spring may be varied. The forward end of the spring is connected to the bracket in such a way that it tends to swing the lower end of the fender-frame forward, the fender-frame being held against being thrown too far forward by a stop 4, extending from the car-frame and engaging an arm 4, extending upward from the fender frame.

The bracket 5, when the fender-frame is in a vertical position, engages with its hooked portion over the end of the rod 6 and pre vents its being drawn forward by the spring until released by the fender-frame coming in contact with some obstacle which swings it rearwardly.

The scoop 13 is composed of the side bars 13, rigidly connected at their rear portions to a shaft 12, preferably by splitting the rear ends, which are clamped around the shaft, as shown at 13 The scoop may be formed by stretching netting between the side bars, but I prefer to use light cross-strips 14, as these are equally as strong and much more easily repaired. An arm 11 is connected rigidlyto the shaft 12, which carries the fender, and this arm extends upwardly, and its perforated upper end receives a bolt 6, screwed or tapped into a casting 10 on the end of the rod or bar 6, by means of which, when the bar is. held retracted, the arm 11 is held rearwardly, holding the scoop raised from the ground. A spring 9 on the bolt 6 in rear of the arm 11 exerts a yielding pressure thereon.

I provide a rigid fender above the shaft 12 by connecting the hangers 15, in which the shaft is journaled, by a cross-netting 17. The hangers 15 are braced by the braces 15 to hold them rigidly against movement.

From the foregoing description the operation of the fender will be readily understood. The parts being in the position shown in Fig. 1, should the fender-frame 1 come in contact with any object in the forward movement of the car it (the frame) would be swung rearwardly. This would cause the forward hooked end of the bracket to swing down from in front of the end of the rod 6, while at the same time the portion of the bracket in rear of the shaft 2 would push upward on the rod 6, thus causing a very slight movement of the frame to effect the disengagement of the bracket and rod. The rod 6 would then at once slide forward under the impulse of the spring 7, thus drawing forward upon the arm 11 and throwing the forward end of the scoop down into close proximity to the track. The spring 1, acting upon the end of the arm 11, would prevent so sudden a movement as to injure the parts. It will thus be seen that the action is quick and effective. The whole arrangement is reduced to the most extreme simplicity, and there is not the slightest possible chance of any of the parts becoming deranged.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. A car-fender comprising the hinged scoop having an upwardly-extending arm, the sliding rod engaging said arm, the swinging fender-frame and the means permanently secured thereto adapted to normally engage said rod and hold it retracted and the scoop raised, and the spring for drawing the rod forward when released from the said means, substantially as described.

2. A car-fender comprising the hinged scoop having an upwardly-extending arm, the sliding rod engaging said arm, the swingingfender-frame, the bracket carried thereby and adapted to engage said sliding rod when the fender-frame is in normal position and to be disengaged therefrom when it is swung rearwardly, and the spring for drawing the rod forward when disengaged, substantially as described.

3. In combination the hinged scoop having an upwardly-extending arm, the sliding rod engaging said arm, the swinging fenderframe, and the bracket carried thereby adapted to engage with the rod to hold it in its retracted position when the fender-frame is in its normal position, substantially as described.

4. In combination, the hinged scoop, the arm carried thereby, the sliding rod engaging said rod, the swinging fender-frame, and the bracket carried thereby, said bracket having a forwardly-hooked end adapted to engage the end of the rod and a rearwardly-extending portion adapted to bear against the under side of the rod when the frame'is swung rear wardly, substantially as described.

5. In combination the hangers, the scoop hinged or pivoted therein, the rigid fender carried by said hangers above the scoop, the arm projecting upward from said scoop, the sliding rod having a yielding connection with said arm, the swinging fender frame, the bracket carried thereby for engaging the end of the rod when in normal position, and the spring extending between the bracket and rod and placing tension upon both said parts, substantially as described.

6. The combination with a car, of a rocking support secured thereto a fender fixed to the support, the hinged scoop supported in rear of the fender, said scoop having an upwardly-extending arm, the sliding rod engag ing the arm, and the rigid means secured to the rocking support adapted to normally engage said rod to hold it retracted, the support being adapted to be rocked directly by the fender to release said rod when the fender is tilted, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

I. JOSEPH NERAOHER.

Witnesses:

A. F. FERTIG, FRANK SCHEEL. 

